"I can't even talk right now," the devastated reality star said after learning her fate. "I love everybody here, so it sucks."

As host Tom Bergeron explained to her, this is the "hard part of the season," the point at which even beloved dancers get the ballroom boot. And Snooki? Despite her past "Jersey Shore" party-girl reputation, she was definitely beloved in the ballroom.

On "Dancing With the Stars," Snooki rebuilt her reputation — this time as a working mom dedicated to delivering the best performances she could week after week. But she never stopped being her quirky self either.

Before dancing her samba routine for the crowd, Snooki warned the audience that she was apt to perform like a "Chihuahua or a squirrel monkey," though she was aiming to channel Beyoncé. After the dance, she confessed that she felt more like a turtle — whatever that meant.

Soon enough, the turtle gave way to a zombie (which — to complete the menagerie effect — just so happened to be pitted against a group of ballroom foxes), and that was her final transformation. It wasn't the way she wanted to go, but at least it gave her one last laugh.

"Why am I leaving a zombie?!" she asked, smiling through the tears and the gruesome makeup.